Nusret Suman (21 March 1905, Veria[1] – 15 August 1978,
İzmit) was a
Turkish sculptor and painter.
He worked especially on portraits and monuments. His last work is the
Hittite Sun Course Monument, which was the symbol of the city of
Ankara in the past.
Life
Suman was born in
Veria close to
Thessaloniki in 1905. His father, İsmail Hakkı Bey, was an officer in the
Ottoman Army. His mother,
Naciye Hanım, was the first Turkish photographer.[2] After the Ottoman defeat in the
First Balkan War his family relocated to
Istanbul. His interest in the arts started with him watching his father make
watercolor paintings.[3]
In 1922, he entered the
Sanayi Nefise Mektebi, and was educated in painting in the ateliers of
Fikret Onat and
İbrahim Çallı. In 1925 he moved on to
İhsan Özsoys sculpture atelier. In 1929 he graduated from the mektebis sculpture faculty. In the exam that started right after his graduation he won the European learning award with his work: "Tayyareci Fethi ve Sadık Anıtı".[4] This is how he became one of the Turkish Republics first students to be sent abroad to Europe with a scholarship. First going to
Munich for painting and then followed by
Paris for sculpture.[5]
In 1934, he returned home; he joined the efforts in creating the
Müstakil Ressamlar ve Heykeltıraşlar Birliği (Private Artists Union); In 1941 he joined the artists group known as the
D Grubu (Group D). [4] In 1943 he was appointed to the
Güzel Sanatlar Akademisi (Fine Arts Academy) as teaching staff, and educated many students there. In the contest for sculptures and reliefs to be included in the
Anıtkabir complex he won first place in the divisions for the "İnkılap Kulesi" (Revolutions Tower), "Barış Kulesi" (Peace Tower), "Müdafaa-i Hukuk Kulesi" (Defense of Law Tower), "Misak-ı Millî Kulesi" reliefs.[6] In 1969 after receiving his professor title he retired. For three years he continued his art in the
USA.[1]
Suman, who in his life created monuments many of them honoring
Atatürk, in 1978, for Ankaras
Sıhhiye Square, made the
Hittite Sun Course Monument. While going to check on his last work before the grand opening of the monument Suman was in a traffic accident which he did not survive.[7]